Urban Meyer press conference news

There were several items of note coming out of Urban Meyer's first weekly press conference of the season Monday.

I am going to have a detailed article for Tuesday's paper, but here are some of the main things that were discussed:

* Reid Fragel has won the starting job at right tackle, for at least this week. A former tight end, he beat out true freshman Taylor Decker. Offensive line coach Ed Warriner said that Decker will still play Saturday and he would like to get him in early in the game.

* Travis Howard will start at cornerback opposite of Bradley Roby. Howard has been in competition with Doran Grant for the spot, but Meyer really likes the progress Howard has made. Meyer said Howard is one of the most improved players on the defense.

* Senior defensive end Nathan Williams, coming back from microfracture knee surgery, continues to make progress and may play in a limited role Saturday.

* Meyer called center Corey Linsley the most improved player on the offensive side of the ball. Said Linsley has went "from a nobody to the apex of our offense." Meyer also praised the progress of receiver Corey "Philly" Brown and running back Carlos Hyde.

* With Miami expected to do a lot of passing, the Buckeyes are planning on playing a lot of nickel defense. The two linebackers in the nickel defense will be Etienne Sabino and Ryan Shazier. The "star" defensive back will either be Christian Bryant, Orhian Johnson or Corey "Pittsburgh" Brown.

* Meyer really likes Miami quarterback Zak Dysert. Meyer called him "tremendous" and said he could play anywhere in the country. Dysert is an Ada High School product.

* Corey "Philly" Brown could not hide his excitement about the new spread offense. He warned fans not to leave their seats when the offense is on the field.

* Linsley emphasized the increased tempo of the offense. He said he could tell that the fast pace of the offense had an impact on the defense during practice.